All-purpose back-rest



1967 J. 5. DRUTH ETAL ALL-PURPOSE BACK-REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1966 INVENTORS JOSEPH S. DRUTH MICHAEL F. NOTKO ATTO RNEY 1967 J. s. DRUTH ETAL ALL-PURPOSE BACK-REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1966 INVENTORS JOSEPH S. DRUTH MICHAEL F. NOTKO ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,359,036 ALL-PURPOSE BACK-REST Joseph S. Druth, Chicago, and Michael F. Notl-ro, North Riverside, Ill., assignors to Druth Packaging Corp., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,833 7 Claims. (Cl. 297352) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A back-rest and collapsible seat made from a single blank of material has a back panel, bottom panel and side support members having brace panels adapted to associate with the bottom panel to support the same and the back panel when the members of the blank are folded along crease lines. Portions of said panels and members are inserted through recesses and notches provided in the blank for assembling the seat and securing the members.

This invention relates generally to an all-purpose backrest adaptable for use on any sitting or reclining surface. More particularly, the invention relates to an allpurpose back-rest formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material such as paperboard, corrugated cardboard, or the like.

Auxiliary portable back-rests have been available, but heretofore they have generally been somewhat expensive, complicated and of the type necessitating their being attached to some supporting surface. The usual such backrest comprised a wire or metal frame supporting a suitable back cushion and a pair of extending gripping prongs or clamps designed to grip or clamp the seating surface member upon which the same was to be mounted. These prior back-rests were bulky, heavy and not conveniently transportable. Moreover, these and other priorbackrests were completely incapable and unsuitable to afford back support in the absence of a seating member or on surfaces where the users legs could not conveniently depend; viz., on the beach, in bed or on the floor when watching television. Moreover, their relative high cost precluded wide spread acceptance of these prior backrests, since in many cases, the cost thereof were approximately, and sometime more, than that of an inexpensive chair having a conventional back.

In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an all-purpose back-rest affording comfort and support for the back when used with a backless seat.

Another important object is to afiford a combination back-rest and seat capable of being used independent of a separate seating member. An object relating thereto is to provide a back-rest which may be used on a surface from which the legs of the user cannot depend, i.e., the floor, ground or bed, so that the legs must be extended in a horizontal plane.

It is another primary object to provide a back-rest made from a single sheet of foldable material.

Another object is to provide a back-rest which may be conveniently and easily folded from a sitting-support position to a carrying position.

Another object is to provide a back-rest which does not require auxiliary fastening means to assemble and operationally maintain the same in place.

Still another object is to provide a back-rest comprising a back support and seat, and with the seat thereof including multiple layers, thereby affording insulation and cushioning when said back-rest is placed on a hard or cold surface.

"ice

Yet another object is to provide a back-rest or relatively stiff material yet so designed that the same readily conforms to the shape 'of the back of the user.

Still a further object is to afford a back-rest which may be readily folded but having simple self-means for locking the device in operable position.

Another object is to provide a back-rest of such inexpensive design and material that it may be disposed of after even a single use.

Yet a further object is to afiord a back-rest which during inclement weather may be inverted and held over the person to provide a gabled-roof shelter.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of our invention, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, our invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled all purpose back-rest embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back-rest of FIG. 1 in a folded carrying position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the fiat blank from which the all purpose back-rest of FIG. 1 is assembled;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the back-rest of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back-rest illustrating a step in the process of assembly from the blank in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the back-rest illustrating another step in the process of assembly following the step shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the assembled back-rest; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 88 in FIG. 1, viewed in the direction indicated, and showing three layers of material forming the seat of the back-rest.

Turning now to the several figures of the drawing, the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 3 indicates generally an integrally-formed blank from which the all purpose backrest 16, shown in FIG, 1, may be assembled. Blank 10 is preferably made from a pulp product material such as corrugated paperboard, although any other suitable material may be used. For convenience of illustration, the broken lines in blank 10 represent the fold or crease lines along which portions of blank 10 may be folded when forming backrest 16.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, blank 10 comprises a bottom panel 20 joined to a back panel 22 along an elongated fold area 24. A pair of shaped side-support members 26, 28 are joined to opposed side edges of the back panel 22 along fold lines 30, 32 respectively.

As shown, support members 26, 28 are symmetrical and comprise respectively side wall panels 34, 35, inner brace panels 36, 37 and outer brace panels 38, 39. Inner brace panel 36 is formed to side wall panel 34 along fold line 40, whereas inner brace panel 37 is formed to side wall panel 35 along fo-ld line 41. The inner brace panels 36, 37 are formed respectively to the outer brace panels 38, 39 along the elongated fold areas 42, 43.

Formed within side wall panel 34 between fold lines 30 and 40 is a diagonal crease line 44. A similar crease line 45 is formed within side panel 35 between fold lines 32 and 41. Crease lines 44, 45 permit the side walls 34, 35 to easily bend inwardly and outwardly.

Tabs 50, 52 extend out from the outer edges. of the outer brace panels 38, 39. Segments are notched out from side wall panels 34, 35 to form respectively recesses 54, 56 and retaining flaps 58, 60. Retaining flaps 58, 60 are hingedly formed to the upper defining edges of recesses 54, 56 and maintain tabs 50, 52 in operational position as will be-more fully described later in the description.

An elongated substantially rectangular notch 62 is formed within bottom panel 20 at substantially the lateral center thereof. Notch 62 is dimensioned to permit both outer brace panels 37, 39 to be inserted therethrough (see FIGS, 1, 5, 6 and 8).

An elongated flap 64 is hingedly formed to bottom panel 20 along bend line 65. The fiap 64 operatively bends away from the seat of the back-rest 16 to abut against the front edge of a chair or bench (not shown) upon which the back-rest may be placed; thus, cooperating with the Weight of the person sitting on the seat of the back-rest 16 to maintain the same in place as will be more fully explained as the description proceeds.

Elongated flap 64 includes a handle grip opening 66 centrally formed therein with respect to the longitudinal length thereof. A similar opening 68 is formed in the back panel 22 in alignment with opening 66. As may be seen in FIG. 3 openings 66, 68 are spaced the same distance respectively from the outer edges of fiap 64 and back panel 22..The openings 66, 68 provide handles for carrying the back-rest 16 when the same is folded into aligned and abutting relationship as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the manner of assembling the all purpose back-rest shown in FIG. 1 from the flat blank shown in FIG. 3, will now be described. Preferably, the support members 26, 28 are initially folded inwardly respectively along fold lines 30, 32 toward the front side of the back panel 22 (see FIG. 5). The bottom panel 20 is raised toward the front side of the back panel 22, along the elongated fold area 24.

The inner brace panels 36, 37 of support members 36, 38 are bent along fold lines 40, 41 to a position underneath the raised bottom panel 20. The sidewalls 34, 35 bend along diagonal crease lines 44, 45. The outer brace panels 38, 39 are then brought together and inserted through notch 62 as shown in FIG. 5.

After the outer brace panels 38, 39 have completely passed through notch 62, they are spread apart, as shown in FIG. 6, along the elongated fold areas 42,43. Thus, substantially one half-portion of bottom panel 20 is sandwiched between the outer and inner brace panels 36, 38,

and substantially the other half-portion of bottom panel 20 is sandwiched between the outer and inner brace panels 37, 39 (see FIG. 8).

The tabs 50, 52 at the outer ends of the outer brace panels 38, 39 are inserted through recesses 54, 56, and secured in place by the retaining flaps 58, 60 (see FIG. 8). Thus, the back-rest 16 is completely assembled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. Note, that the folding over of the outer and inner brace panels of the support members 26, 28 with the bottom panel 20 therebetween, affords brace means to positively maintain the back-rest 16 in the operative position of FIG. 1.

When it is desired to transport or carry the back-rest 16 from one location to another, the same is folded along the diagonal crease lines 44, 45 and the elongated fold area 24 between the back panel 22 and bottom panel 20. Thus, the outer panels 38, 39 contact the back panel 22 and portions of each side wall panel 34, 35 as seen in FIG. 21 are positioned in opposed relationship. In this manner, back-rest 16 is converted from the operative sitting position shown in FIG. 1 to a carrying position shown in FIG. 2. Since openings 66, 68 are in alignment, the defining walls thereof provide convenient carrying handles when in the carrying position.

Note also, that since the diagonal crease lines 44, 45 enable the side wall panels 34, 35 to easily bend outwardly or inwardly, they also provide width adjustment means for the back-rest 16. Thus, back-rest 16 is capable of automatically adjusting itself to comfortably accommodate both adults and children of varying widths. Moreover, crease lines 44,45 permit the back-rest 16 to be quickly and conveniently converted from the operative position to the carrying position.

Contour crease lines 78 are formed in the back panel 22 adjacent the side edges thereof. The contour crease lines 78 provide flexibility in the back-rest 16, and hence the sides of back panel 22 tend to are by bending and adjusting to the contour of the back of the person sitting in the back-rest, thereby contributing to the comfortable seating and back support of the user.

Fold area 24, in addition to its functional purpose pre viously described, also serves as a fulcrum or pivot point permitting back panel 22 to angle backwardly when pressure is applied thereto. Moreover, the width of fold area 24 provides a greater bend angle for back panel 22 to move through when the person is sitting forward in the seat than if he were sitting rearward in an upright position.

It should be particularly noted, that three layers of material are provided to comprise the seat of back-rest 16. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, the seat of back-rest 16 includes outer brace panels 38, 39 for an upper layer, bottom panel 20 for an intermediate layer and the inner brace panels 36, 37 for lower layer. Thus, the brace panels 36, 37, 38, 39 in addition to assuring a secure and positive assembly of blank 10, also provide cushioning and insulation for the back-rest 16.

Moreover, when back-rest 16 is placed on a backless seat or bench, the elongated flap 64 is bent downwardly from bottom panel 20 along bend line 65 to lie in front of the edge of said seat or bench. In this manner, backrest 16 is less apt to slide along the seat.

It should be further noted that the design of the combination back-rest and seat is such that when the weight of the user is applied to the top seat panels 38, 39, the side wall panels 34 and 35 cooperate to maintain the back panel 22 in position even when the user leans back thereagainst. This of course insures the equilibrium of the device and prevents the device from tipping over backwardly. Moreover, the design permits comfortable accommodation of the user in the seat and back-rest to the point where if desired, the device may even be partially tipped back along the fold area 24.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that a novel all purpose back-rest 16 has been provided herein, which is suitable for providing back support when placed on a backless seat, bench or bleacher. Furthermore, the back-rest 16 of the invention is also usable in bed or on ground and floor surfaces.

Moreover, the back-rest 16 is easily assembled from a single blank of material, such as any inexpensive pulp product material and if desired may be treated to make it water-proof. Furthermore, the back-rest is designed whereby the same may be quickly converted from an operative position to a carry position, thereby making the back-rest 16 convenient to take from one place to another or to store when not in use.

Thus, due to the complete adaptability and portaability of the back-rest, the same may be used, for example, at spectator sports to afford a back-rest on backless bleacher seats, or used comfortably due to the triplelayer seat, on a hard or stony ground surface.

It is believed that our invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A back-rest formed from a single blank of substantially fiat sheet material comprising:

a back panel;

a bottom panel joined along a fold area to the lower edge of said back panel and adapted to fold toward the front side of the back panel;

a pair of support members hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said back panel to fold inwardly toward said front side of the back panel and operatively associate with said bottom panel;

means formed in said blank to enable said support members to securely associate with the bottom panel and thereby support the bottom panel and back panel in an operative support position spaced from each other;

said support members comprising a side wall panel and a bracing means, said side wall panels being hingedly joined to the opposed side edges of the back panel and adapted to fold inwardly toward the front side of the back panel, said bracing means being joined along a fold line to the bottom edge of said side wall panel and being bendable along the fold line at the bottom edge of the side wall panel to position at least a portion thereof underneath the bottom panel when said back and bottom panels are in said operative position, said first-mentioned means cooperating with said bracing means to maintain said portion underneath said bottom panel;

said bracing means comprising an inner brace panel and an outer brace panel, said inner brace panel being joined atthe upper edge to said side wall panel along said fold line at the bottom of the side wall panel, said inner brace panel being joined along a fold area at the bottom edge thereof to the outer brace panel, said first-mentioned means including at least one notch formed in the bottom panel, each of said bracing means operatively extending through said notch and folding over at said fold area whereby said inner brace panel lies contiguous with the lower side of the bottom panel and said outer brace panel lies contiguous with the upper side of the bottom panel;

the outer edge of each of said outer brace panels includes a tab;

a recess is formed in each of said side wall panels;

and

retaining flaps are hingedly disposed within said recesses, said retaining flaps maintaining the tabs within said recesses when the outer brace panels are operatively disposed on the upper side of the bottom panel.

2. A back-rest formed from a single blank of substantially flat sheet material comprising:

a back panel;

a bottom panel joined along a fold area to the lower edge of said back panel and adapted to fold toward the front side of the back panel;

a pair of support members hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said back panel to fold inwardly toward said front side of the back panel and operatively associated with said bottom panel;

means formed in said blank to enable said support members to securely associate with the bottom panel and thereby support the bottom panel and back panel in an operative support position spaced from each other;

said support members comprising a side wall panel and a bracing means, said side wall panels being hingedly joined to the opposed side edges of the back panel and adapted to fold inwardly toward the front side of the back panel, said bracing means being joined along a fold line to the bottom edge of said side wall panel and being bendable along the fold line at the bottom edge of the side wall panel to position at least a portion thereof underneath the bottom panel when said back and bottom panels are in said operative position, said first-mentioned means cooperating with said bracing means to maintain said portion underneath said bottom panel;

said bracing means comprising an inner brace panel and an outer brace panel, said inner brace panel being joined at the upper edge to said side wall panel along said fold line at the bottom of the side wall panel, said inner brace panel being joined along a fold area at the bottom edge thereof to the outer brace panel, said first-mentioned means including at least one notch formed in the bottom panel, each of said bracing means operatively extending through said notch and folding over at said fold area whereby said inner brace panel lies contiguous with the lower side of the bottom panel and said outer brace panel lies contiguous with the up per side of the bottom panel;

each of said side wall panels includes a crease line formed between a side edge adjacent the back panel and bottom edge thereof, said back-rest being converted from the operative support position to a carry position by folding the same along said crease line of the side wall panels and the fold area between the bottom and back panels.

3. The back-rest of claim 2, wherein a first opening and a second opening are formed respectively adjacent the outer edge of said back panel and said bottom panel, the defining walls of said openings providing handle means when said back-rest is in said carrying position.

4. The back-rest of claim 2, wherein said bottom panel includes an elongated flap at the outer end thereof, said elongated flap being adapted to bend downwardly from said bottom panel.

*5. The back-rest of claim 2 wherein said back panel includes contour crease lines adjacent the side edges thereof, said contour crease lines being capable of adjusting the back panel to the contour of the back of the person sitting in the back-rest when said person leans against said back panel.

6. A back-rest formed from a single blank of substantially flat sheet material comprising:

a back panel;

a bottom panel joined along a fold area to the lower edge of said back panel and adapted to fold toward the front side of the back panel;

a pair of support members hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said back panel to fold inwardly toward said front side of the back panel and operatively associate with said bottom panel;

means formed in said blank to enable said support members to securely associate with the bottom panel and thereby support the bottom panel and back panel in an operative support position spaced from each other;

said support members comprising a side wall panel and a bracing means, said side wall panels being hingedly joined to the opposed side edges of the back panel and adapted to fold inwardly toward the front side of the back panel, said bracing means being joined along a fold line to the bottom edge of said side wall panel and being bendable along the fold line at the bottom of the side wall panel to position at least a portion thereof underneath the bottom panel when said back and bottom panels are in said operative position, said first-mentioned means cooperating with said bracing means to maintain said portion underneath said bottom panel, said bracing means comprising;

an inner brace panel and an outer brace panel, said side wall panel being hingedly joined to a 7 side edge of the back panel and adapted to fold inwardly toward the front side of the back panel, the upper edge of said inner brace panel being joined along a fold line to the bottom between the outer and inner brace panels of the other support member to maintain the bottom panel spaced from the back panel in said operative support position, said retaining flaps edge of said side wall panel, the lower edge retaining the tabs within the recesses when the of said inner brace panel being joined along a outer panels are spread apart, said back-rest fold area to the inner edge of the outer brace being converted from said operative support panel; position to a carrying position upon being tolda tab extends outward from the outer edge of each ed along the crease lines in said side Wall of the outer brace panels; 10 panels and the fold area between the bottom and back panels.

7. The back-rest of claim 6 wherein:

a first opening and a second opening are formed adjacent the outer edge of the back panel and said bottom panel respectively, the defining walls of said openings providing handle means when said backrest is in the carrying position;

the bottom panel includes an elongated flap at the outer end thereof, said elongated flap being adapted to bend downwardly from said bottom panel; and

said back panel includes contour crease lines capable of adjusting the back panel to the contour of the back of the person sitting in the back-rest when said person leans against the back panel.

a recess is formed in each said side wall panels adjacent the told line joining the side wall panel and the inner brace panel;

a retaining flap is hingedly disposed within each of said recesses;

a notch is formed within said bottom panel;

a substantially diagonal crease line is formed in each said side Wall panels between the side edge adjacent the back panel and said bottom edge of the side Wall panel, said inner brace panel being bendable to lie underneath said bottom panel and permitting said outer brace panels to be bent to a substantially ninety degree (90) angle with respect to said inner brace panels whereby said outer brace panels are positionable through the notch within the bottom panel, said outer brace panels being fold- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS able along the fold area between the inner 743,9 7 1 5 crane and outer brace panels of the respective sup- 2,759,527 8 1956 Myrick 297 1g3 port members to spread apart from each other 2,797,740 7/1957 Cappello 297-381 after passing through said notch and thereby 3,126,140 3/1964 Lizan et al.

sandwiching a portion of the bottom panel be- 3,168,347 2/1965 Lyles 297-442 tween the outer and inner brace panels of One support member and sandwiching substantially the remaining portion of the bottom panel BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BACK-REST FORMED FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING: A BACK PANEL; A BOTTOM PANEL JOINED ALONG A FOLD AREA TO THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BACK PANEL AND ADAPTED TO FOLD TOWARD THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BACK PANEL; A PAIR OF SUPPORT MEMBERS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSED SIDE EDGES OF SUCH BACK PANEL TO FOLD INWARDLY TOWARD SAID FRONT SIDE OF THE BACK PANEL AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATE WITH SAID BOTTOM PANEL; MEANS FORMED IN SAID BLANK TO ENABLE SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS TO SECURELY ASSOCIATE WITH THE BOTTOM PANEL AND THEREBY SUPPORT THE BOTTOM PANEL AND BACK PANEL IN AN OPERATIVE SUPPORT PORTION SPACED FROM EACH OTHER; SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS COMPRISING A SIDE WALL PANEL AND A BRACING MEANS, SAID SIDE WALL PANELS BEING HINGEDLY JOINED TO THE OPPOSED SIDE EDGES OF THE BACK PANEL AND ADAPTED TO FOLD INWARDLY TOWARD THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BACK PANEL, SAID BRACING MEANS BEING JOINED ALONG A FOLD LINE TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID SDIE WALL PANEL AND BEING BENDABLE ALONG THE FOLD LINE AT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE SIDE WALL PANEL TO POSITION AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF UNDERNEATH THE BOTTOM PANEL WHEN SAID BACK AND BOTTOM PANESL ARE IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID FIRST-MEMTIONED MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID BRACING MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID PORTION UNDERNEATH SAID BOTTOM PANEL; SAID BRACING MEANS COMPRISING AN INNER BRACE PANEL AND AN OUTER BRACE PANEL, SAID INNER BRACE PANEL BEING JOINED AT THE UPPER EDGE TO SAID SIDE WALL PANEL ALONG SAID FOLD LINE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SIDE WALL PANEL, SAID INNER BRACE PANEL BEING JOINED ALONG A FOLD AREA AT THE BOTTOM EDGE THEREOF TO TO OUTER BRACE PANEL, SAID FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE NOTCH FORMED IN THE BOTTOM PANEL, EACH OF SAID BRACING MEANS OPERATIVELY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID NOTCH AND FOLDING OVER AT SAID FOLD AREA WHEREBY SAID INNER BRACE PANEL LIES CONTIGUOUS WITH THE LOWER SIDE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL AND SAID OUTER BRACE PANEL LIES CONTIGUOUS WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL; 